What are you going to do?

The funding raised through this campaign will support the launch of a pilot social business in The Gambia. In January 2012, a team of 4 Engineering students took on the challenge of addressing a societal need in West Africa. Today we are poised to seed our first social enterprise in West Africa. By investing the upfront capital to produce 200 units (affordable PV phone chargers), we will create a self-propagating solution to the problem of charging mobile phones in rural Gambia. From the initial investment, this enterprise should have the means to produce and distribute as many chargers as needed.

A 2010 UN report described mobile phones as "one of the most effective advancements in history to lift people out of poverty." While over 65% of Gambian households have at least one mobile phone, many lack access to charging infrastructure. Many rural Gambians travel many kilometers to have their phone charged off a car battery, which in turn had been charged further down the road by a diesel generator. Affordable access to convenient recharging empowers the user of the phone to achieve the impact the UN envisioned.

This business launch builds on the work initiated in 2010 (Overview). Elizabethtown College Students in Engineering and International Business will continue the partnerships formed by previous Etown students with peers from the University of The Gambia (UTG). The project teams have included engineering, international business, business administration, political science and physics majors. Over the past few years, students have developed and tested a photovoltaic (PV)
charger for basic mobile phones. These basic durable chargers in two hours charge
the types of phones widely used by rural Gambians - a quick, inexpensive solution to a major challenge for many rural Gambians.

The
students have also collaborated in developing a business plan for a
not-for-profit social enterprise around this technology to assemble,
distribute and sell these chargers. Selling the chargers at a price
rural Gambians can afford creates an economically sustainable solution.
The sale price covers all material supplies and fair wages for all
employees in the social enterprise.

The
UTG students will pilot the enterprise. The enterprise will be
completely run by Gambia students. The student employees will gain
valuable skills in technological product development, entrepreneurship
and management. The enterprise will be overseen by a volunteer external advisory board including faculty from Elizabethtown College.

We plan
to pilot this launch with a capital investment of $1040-1560 which will
provide the supply inventory needed to produce the first 200-300 PV
chargers. Each unit sold will then provide the additional capital for
future units.Current wholesale prices (at 200-300 pieces) for each unit: PV Module: $3.32 Electronic Components: $1.38 Other Materials: <$0.50 (negotiated, purchased locally)

Labor
costs less than $4.50 per unit for an end-user purchase price of <$10
equivalent. Labor costs will be covered upfront by drawing on an
account set up in 2011 for these projects. The account balance is just
under $1000 equivalent and is administered through the Aktive
Fredsreiser (Travel for Peace,
a Norwegian NGO active in The Gambia - our partner at UTG, Dr. Momodou
Jain, is a project supervisor for this NGO). Short term funding for
labor costs will be provided as an interest free loan drawn from this
account.

In August 2015, a small team from Etown will be traveling to The Gambia with these supplies and to consult with the UTG team on setting up the pilot.

We would be very grateful for any support you could offer. Thank you!

What issue are you addressing? What is the purpose/rationale of your project?

Social and economic needs in West Africa. We are also developing entrepreneurial skills both among Etown and UTG students.

Describe your team...

3 Engineering students, 1 International business student, 1 Business faculty member and myself will be on the travel team. In Gambia our partners include Dr. Momodou Jain and Ebrima Darboe in the physics faculty at UTG.

Momodou Jain, PhD

Title:Senior Lecturer

Dmitriy Krichevskiy, PhD

Title:Assistant Professor

Brian Brennan

Title:Student (Engineering)

Bobby Tausendfreund

Title:Student (Engineering)

Greyson McDonald

Title:Student (Engineering)

Tessa Cruickshank

Title:Student (International Business)

About Momodou Jain, PhD

Senior Lecturer in Physics and Associate Dean at the University of The Gambia. Associate Professor at University of Bergen, Norway. Expertise in Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics.

About Dmitriy Krichevskiy, PhD

Assistant Professor of Economics at Elizabethtown College with expertise in Entrepreneurship.

About Brian Brennan

About Bobby Tausendfreund

About Greyson McDonald

About Tessa Cruickshank

Belinda Good - $30

Anonymous - $100

Rebecca Eisenbise - $50

Lavonne I. Grubb - $100

Anonymous - $100

Julie A Heisey - $30

Marialice Hollinger - $500

This is a wonderful project - use the sun for energy, develop entrepreneurs, and "educate through service"!

Samuel Feehrer - $50

Great cause, happy to help!

P Whitmore McDonough - $25

Go Solar!

James Hollinger - $50

Kurt M DeGoede - $50

Ronald P Heasley - $20

Lev Rosenblum - $10

Mikhail Krichevsky - $50

KEVIN T NAUTA - $50

Richard Basom - $50

Great project. Social impact should be the bottom line of more projects. Good work!

Anonymous - $15

Anonymous - $20

Good luck in Gambia! (your friends are aware that there are different countries in Africa)

Jeanette Shimanovich - $30

mohamad nassereddine - $15

Sharon Placide - $25

Hope you meet your goal!

Kathryn Rogers - $10

Anonymous - $150

August 9, 2015 - An Active Day

Howdy all,

Today was a very active day. After a standard but tasty breakfast of mango and bread we started off our day by walking around the school of Pirang to spend some time in town before the monthly cleaning day (setsetal) concluded at 1:00. As soon as we could we caught a gelleh gelleh and packed ourselves in to take us into Brikama for the day.

We first stopped at the wood carver's market to browse their wares. Dimitriy acquired several masks to add to his collection and Brian and myself bought some interesting wooden items as well.

After this we stopped at the local drink shop, "Nice to be Nice" to relax and get out of the hot sun for a while. We were joined by a friend of Dr. DeGoede's, the charismatic Mr. Brewer.

After this we navigated the very busy and very wet streets of Brikama to visit several more of Dr. DeGoede's friends. We stopped inside some of the compounds in which the residents lived and drank glassed coka-cola and talked while the sounds of the local futbol match drifted through the windows.

Once we returned to MEHDA, we eagerly went to eat dinner where Nyamo introduced us to a local drummer. He explained how the traditional drums are made, sang a few songs for us, and even let us have a go at playing the drums ourselves. Most of our performances were not nearly as impressive as the drummer's.

We are tired but excited to see what the rest of the trip has in store for us.

Peace,Greyson

August 9, 2015 - Another Update on Sunday

Hello all once again,

Today was another day spent at the university. We met with a smaller group of students and faculty this time and focused on preparing them as managers for this social enterprise, Recharging The Gambia. We also distributed some Elizabethtown water bottles to these students and consequently had to explain what a Blue Jay is. We also brought two hats, which we left Dr. Jane the responsibility to distribute. He immediately claimed one of them and put it on, so I assume they were excited for the Elizabethtown merchandise.

During our break, we went back to Jeremiah's wife's restaurant for some lunch. Then we resumed our lessons with the students.

After our day at the university we made another stop at the woodcarver's market on the way home, since it is not far from the campus.

Tonight, we will be having another drumming performance as well as more basic lessons.

-Brian

August 8, 2015 - Preparing for a busy week

Hi everyone,

It started as an overcast day. We woke up to a wonderful breakfast of beans, mango and bread shared with a few guys from the village. Expecting a full week of work at the university ahead of us, we decided to make today a beach day. We were joined by some of our hosts from Pirang and we hopped on the gelleh gelleh to go to Brikama to catch another gelleh gelleh to take us to Sanyang, a coastal fishing village.

In Sanyang we found an lively beach predominately occupied by fishing boats coming and going, women cleaning the fish and seagulls waiting for the leftovers. We walked passed the fishermen to a deserted Paradise beach, once home to some restaurants and few tourists. The sky opened up and the ocean welcomed us with warm salty water and a steady swell. We enjoyed a leisurely swim and knocked down few coconuts for a drink. On the way back we bought some fish from the fisherman for dinner. In Brikama it started to drizzle. One taxi and two gelleh gelleh rides back to Pirang and we were eating peppery fish with some some bread and mango. Our meal is accompanied by hibiscus and baobab drinks, hot tea and some almond cookies we bought from street vendors. The tropical rain finally came in full force right as we were enjoying dinner.

Tonight our village is hosting a fundraiser for one of the community projects. We are now resting before the Reggae and Afro-bit fundraising activities party.

All the best,Dmitriy

August 7, 2015 - Saturday

Hello all,

Today we walked around Pirang and were able to see the two largest trees in all of West Africa. During the walk us "Toubobs" (white people) were very popular with the children and many of them joined us. They all wanted to hold our hands as we walked and would fight over our hands.

After our big lunch we rode a bus into Brikama where we walked around the markets and bought some laundry supplies (a tub & a rope, to serve as a clothes line)

When we returned from Brikama, after doing our laundry we met with the Pirang soccer children as well as their coaches, senior soccer players, and other various officials. We took pictures with them and handed out the soccer balls, cleats, and soccer t-shirts that were donated by the Etown soccer coach. After everything the adults reinforced how much they appreciated our gesture with an almost ceremony-like thanking session.

As I'm writing this we are about to continue our game of cards, that we started before our light meal of bread and fruit. We are all still doing well and enjoying our journey.

Please don't worry too much,Brian

August 6, 2015 - Settled in and beginning work

Sumale (now you say Ibaje) {how are you, I am well}kor tanante (now you say tanante) {is there any evil, no evil}

Greetings are big in The Gambia, these are just a couple. We are pretty much settled in now and as you see have the internet up and running here at MEHDA. As I think most of you know our flight was delayed about 6 hours in Brussels, so we got in very late last night. But, quickly fell asleep to the rhythm of the nearby dance club music at about 2 AM.

Today we were able to go in to Serrekunda and purchase new batteries for the solar system at MEHDA, by tomorrow evening we should have good lighting. We spent some time with Ebrima Cole the manager at SWEGAM (a Swedish-Gambian company specializing in solar and agriculture) and I at least enjoyed hearing his perspective on the state of solar and energy in The Gambia.

Greyson helped Dave (staff member from Eastern Mennonite Missions working with Jeremiah at MEHDA) swap out the old batteries. We had brought Dave and his wive (a nurse training Gambian women in medical care) some supplies from the states.

We had a big "lunch" at about 4 or 5 of fishballs and bennechin rice. We also have enjoyed fresh mangos and tapalapa (thin stick) bread.

Everyone is doing very well and enjoyed the first day here in the Smiling Coast of Africa.

August 4, 2015 - Departure Today

The Project Team departs within the hour for The Gambia. I volunteered to keep all of you updated by posting regular updates here. Please check back to follow the team's progress.

We wish them safe travel and an enjoyable and productive experience in The Gambia!

August 4, 2015 - All Part of the Adventure

We are comfortably and safely in Brussels, but our plane had some difficulties and we have been delayed by 5.5 hours.

Looks like we might be on a different plan, since we need to move to a new gate. The airline is providing a meal voucher, but our 11:20 departure is now delayed until 5:00 PM. We will not arrive in Banjul until after 10:00 PM.

A bit more of an adventure than we planned, but all is well.

Best wishes to all!

Kurt

August 15, 2015 - The last Update for this trip

Hey there everyone,

It seems that I have the honor of sending our last update during our stay here in The Gambia. We decided to spend our last day by staying work-free and relaxing and soaking up as much Gambian sun as we could.

We woke up this morning and fueled up at breakfast, then proceeded with Nyamo, his assistant Aloo, and our two drummer friends to catch a gelleh gelleh into Brikama. We then caught another to take us to Sanyang and grabbed another taxi to drive us the last bit into Paradise Beach. There we swam in the very warm water and hung out under the shade of the palm trees. Our Gambian friends made us ataya tea and Dr. DeGoede's old friend Mama brought us all a delicious meal of fish and chips to enjoy on the beach. Brian and I took another go at knocking down some coconuts out of the trees and were quite successful.

We took the same route home and enjoyed our last ride in the gelleh gelleh. After we all rinsed all the sand off of us we had a light dinner and decided to hang out and play cards for the rest of the night. The rest of the group isn't much competition but I try and go easy on them.

I think I speak for us all when I say our stay has been amazing thanks to Nyamo and the rest of the helpful people at MEHDA and the people we've met along the way. The people here and incredibly friendly and helpful and we have certainly learned a lot during our stay. We are very eager to hear how the students at UTG manage the social enterprise and are hopeful that it makes a valuable impact to many lives here in The Gambia.

Peace, Greyson

August 14, 2015 - Pizza in The Gambia

Hello all,

This morning, during breakfast, we experienced some more of that Gambian wet-season rain we had been missing during the first week. After the rain stopped a cab came to Medha and took us to a restaurant across the street from the U.S. Embassy. Here we ate pizza (not a traditional Gambian meal) and drank soda while we met with four of Dr. DeGoede's former students. It was great talking to them and interesting to learn about where they are now and what their ambitions are.

After that our cab driver took us to Saikou's house, where we were fed again. We met with him and discussed both the solar charger project as well as the lighting project which Greyson, Bobby, and I will be working on more during this upcoming school year.

We returned to our compound and, after another small drumming performance, ate another large meal. We're definitely eating well here in the Gambia.

It's nice to be nice,Brian

August 13, 2015 - Meeting at the Ministry

I was able to talk briefly with Saikou Njai (US Peace Corps) and was able to get a report on the prototypes of the chargers we had out in villages for testing. One issue we will need to look into was the UV resistance of the wire insulation. The UTG team will need to source wire with UV resistance to address this concern. We may be able to meet with Saikou tomorrow.

Our main activity today was a meeting at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Technology. Yusapha Touray, at the ministry is an old friend. At 4:00 Yusapha's driver picked us up in Pirang, just as the rain was starting. Boy did it rain. This was an intense rain. Along the way the streets were flooded. We were very happy to be in a solid SUV. Yusupah was working late with his team on a World Bank proposal, but took some time to meet with us and hear about our progress on the project. We also met with Yusupha's supervisor, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry. The ministry again pledged any support we need for the project. It was good to see Yusupha again.

After the heavy rain it feels cool. We are hoping for a good night's rest.

We are looking forward to seeing you all again soon.

Blessings,

Kurt

August 13, 2015 - In the hands of the Gambian students...

Hi all,

We are doing great. Today we finished our work at the university. We are looking forward to see how far Gambian students can take the project. On the way back from the university we stopped by Kurt's friends in Birkama and came back to the house for a big lunch of spicy rice with potatoes and chicken. We were all tired so we had a short drumming lesson before turning in for the night.

All the best,

August 11, 2015 - A little Rain on the Parade

Howdy everyone,

Today we were not needed at the University of the Gambia, so we decided to spend the day adventuring around Pirang and Brikama. With our host Nyamo and his assistant Aloo as our guide, we found ourselves deep in the dense forest of Pirang surrounded by rare birds and the occasional shy monkey. We linked up with another tour guide who took us deeper still into the forest while showing us various forms of wildlife and calling birds.

We were tired once we emerged from the forest but after a break for a large lunch and a nap or two, we journeyed back into Brikama to spend the rest of our day watching the local football match.

We finally got to experience some true Rainy Season weather while at the game, and when the game was finally over the streets of Brikama were thoroughly flooded and we sloshed our way back to the gelleh gelleh "station" to find a ride home.

Luckily the rain has managed to cool the air down a bit, so we all are looking forward to a good nights rest in comfortable conditions tonight.

As a side note, Dr. DeGoede has been having some difficulty getting the computer charger to work, so there is a distinct possibility we wont be able to send messages in the future. Hopefully this does not happen but if it does, fear not, we will endure and will return safely to you all.

Peace,Greyson

August 10, 2015 - Start of a busy week

Hello again from The Gambia,

Today we got to work. We brought all the supplies for the phone chargers into the University. We were waiting for Dr. Momadou Jain, but he was called into a ceremony of some type and was delayed. Not to fear, Ebrima a graduate teaching assistant in the department working closely with us on this project arranged for one of the students to come and pick us up with the supplies. A student, Emanuel, with a vehicle is extremely rare, most faculty do not have a private car. The student's father is a general surgeon in Banjul, and allowed him to take the family car to campus for the day. They are from Pakistan and have lived in The Gambia for two years - he is studying physics at UTG.

Dr. Jain had completed his duties and met us at UTG when we arrived. We reviewed the assembly process for the chargers with the 16 students able to get into campus. The students broke up into 3 groups and closely went over the instructions Bobby and Greyson had written up. I was very impressed with the attention to detail of the students. Once they understood the process, Greyson and Brian tutored them on the soldering technique. The students enjoyed getting to know each other. Dmitriy enjoyed putting on his photojournalist hat for a while taking some great photos of the action.

Next it was time for a little lunch. Jeremiah's wife runs a restaurant on the UTG campus. We walked over for a quick lunch of seasoned beans on bread. Very nice.

Back at the physics lab we went over the plan for the week and the big picture for the project with a smaller group of student leaders that will manage the social enterprise. We will resume with this group tomorrow morning.

On our way back to Pirang we stopped again at one of my old neighbors in Brikama. Today we were able to see more of the family. The kids were the stars of the show putting on quite a performance singing, dancing and just having a great time. One of the neighbors manages a local soccer team. They will be playing in a tournament game in the big soccer stadium in Brikama, box bar, on Wednesday and we are planning to attend. Should be fun. Before we left we also enjoyed a little attaya tea. Attaya is a tea usually shared among men as a social gathering under a mango tree. Today our tea was prepared by a young woman (rather surprising). Attaya is a very strong and sweet tea, typically served in three rounds – we only stayed for the first round.

Aside: we did not make it out to the dancing last night, it got pretty late and we turned in before things really got rolling. Alleiu came to get us to join them, but it was past 11:30 and we were all in bed.